Tag Archives: Economic Development Incentives
Merck withdraws from economic incentive plans
Pharmaceutical giant Merck has notified City Manager Spencer Cronk that it is terminating its incentive agreement with the city effective June 23. As a result, Merck will not have to comply with the terms of the agreement, which included an…
Austin • By Jo Clifton • Jul 3, 2019
Council wants to look at 380 agreements again
A $165,000 economic development agreement between the city of Austin and Austin Community College to help the college provide and maintain what is described as “leading edge” technology equipment for ACC’s fashion incubator could be an early casualty of Council’s…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Jun 19, 2019
Incentives or no, Amazon growing in Austin after nixing New York
The announcement Thursday that Amazon is canceling its planned HQ2 facility in Queens, New York, confirmed what many business and policy watchers in Austin have predicted: In the coming years Austin will see a slice of the 25,000 planned jobs…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 15, 2019
Council approves plan to revamp incentives, with small businesses in mind
City Council voted Thursday to approve the framework for a restructuring of the city’s economic incentives programs, with the goal of increasing small business growth and improving job opportunities for lower-wage and middle-skill workers. The 9-1 vote saw Council Member…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 31, 2018
Council considers which strings to attach to corporate incentives
After postponing action earlier this month, on Thursday City Council will again consider establishing new rules regarding economic incentives for businesses. Council members plan on considering a number of amendments to the proposal aimed at ensuring that public dollars are…
Austin • By Jack Craver • Aug 29, 2018
Council seeks to steer incentives from big business to local business
In Austin, the city’s practice of providing financial incentives for companies to relocate or move operations here has garnered plenty of criticism, ranging from outright opposition to the practice to concerns about whether the incentives are leading to jobs for…
City Hall • By Jack Craver • Aug 9, 2018
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Changes proposed for Chapter 380 agreements
During Tuesday’s City Council work session, David Colligan, the manager of global business expansion in the Economic Development Department, and economist Jon Hockenyos presented an outline of their plans to revamp the city’s incentive policy for recruiting businesses under the…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Dec 6, 2017
Austin's creative culture holds weight in economic incentives revision
In response to City Council direction in March, Austin’s Economic Development Department has spent the better part of the year meeting with specific groups in the community that have a stake in how the city approaches policies such as business…
Austin • By Jessi Devenyns • Sep 22, 2017
Economic development sessions to target middle-class jobs, local business growth
A focus on middle-class job growth, workforce development and growing existing businesses are some of the priorities the city’s business boosters will emphasize this week during a series of community meetings intended to shape local economic development policies. The seven…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 5, 2017
City approves Merck incentives, waits for decision on IT hub
Austin will provide up to $856,000 in economic incentives to pharmaceutical giant Merck Sharp & Dohme if the company chooses Austin as the site for a proposed information technology hub. By a 7-3-1 vote, City Council approved a Chapter 380…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 14, 2017
Pharma giant's proposed incentives draw questions in first review
City Council members have tended away from using incentives packages in recent years, averaging one approval per year to lure large employers to the area. Based on questioning and feedback from an initial discussion last week, it appears that 2017’s…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 10, 2017
Adler: Business incentives shouldn't be 'bad word'
In a booming city with an unemployment rate south of 3 percent, it’s not surprising that people might be skeptical of spending taxpayer dollars to lure more jobs into town. In a recent survey of Austinites about city spending priorities,…
